| JAMES |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 2:1 Playing No Favorites James 1 tells Christians to act out their faith. James 2 gives a very pointed example of church members deferring to the wealthy and powerful. This direct application, hitting close to home, characterizes James. He leaves no room for ambiguity. 3:3 Colorful Language Vivid, homey pictures from nature give a visual character to James' words, almost as if each thought were a photograph. He refers to sea froth, wilted flowers, a forest fire, a horse's bit, the morning mist, a hungry moth, the farmer's spring rains, a giant ship, and a saltwarer spring. Paul, a more educated writer, alluded to culture and athletics and human relationships. But James felt most comfortable borrowing simple images from nature. 4:1 The Need for Self-Control If you had to distill the message of James into one word, it might be self-control. Chapters 4 and 5, which contain some of James' most striking imagery, show how simple greed and desire can corrode the church and destroy unity. And, indeed, many of the Jewish Christians he was writing to soon experienced an abrupt turn of fortune. They lost their wealth and suffered severe persecution. 5:10 To Those Who Suffer . . . James echoes the thoughts of Paul and Peter when he speaks to suffering people. Here (and in chapter 1:2-8) he explains how God can actually use suffering for our benefit, although not in the way we might wish. In addition, James describes the church's ministry of healing as an added hope for the sufferer. |